1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a carrying case for carrying small portable electronic devices, and more particularly, to certain improvements in a carrying case for a paging receiver.
2. Background of the Invention
Portable paging devices, also known as papers, are small portable radio receivers which are carried on a person and typically emit an audible or light signal whenever the pager is selected. Typically, there are four different pager types. First, a tone only pager generates a beep or flash upon being selected. Second, a tone and voice pager beeps and gives a short voice message for notifying the user. Third, a numeric display pager displays numeric messages such as phone numbers and other coded information. Finally, an alphanumeric display pager can receiver, store, and display completely written messages.
In particular, the numeric display and alphanumeric display pagers require a user to be able to read the display to receive this message. Numeric and alphanumeric display pagers also typically have a plurality of external control switches for allowing the user to read, protect, delete, and save the plurality of messages in the pager.
To facilitate the carrying of the pager, many types of carrying cases have been designed. A number of pager carrying cases have consisted of bulky clips which typically attach to the belt of the user. In operation, the pager had to be dislodged from the clip in order to enable the user to remove the pager from the belt, read the display and access the pager control switches. An example of this type of clip is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,063 issued to Krumin et al. and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. One known carrying case permitted the user to access at least one of the operating controls of the pager without disloding the pager from the belt and without removing the pager from the carrying case. Examples of this carrying case is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,596 issued to Swanson. Another U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,017 issued to Pimsleur illustrated a carrying case having access to a pistol grip of a camera included in the case. One, U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,078 issued to Belt et al. disclosed a front panel in which a liquid crystal display device is visible from the exterior of the electronic device's carrying case.
All of these cases, however, have been attached to a belt. For example, Pimsleur illustrates a flap attached by a VELCRO fastener to the carrying case to form a loop in which a belt is inserted through the loop. These types of carrying cases have worked well with the type of clothing which typically provided the belt support as illustrated in these patents.
However, it has become increasingly popular to wear beltless clothing. This popularity has even further increased in the female clothing market. Further, some clothing is of a delicate nature in which the intimate contact between the clothing and the hook type material of a VELCRO fastener sometimes leads to the fabric of the clothing being damaged. It would, therefore, be highly advantageous to design a carrying case that could be conveniently used by a beltless user.